Glove with protective structure

ABSTRACT

A glove includes a glove body in a shape of a hand and having a palm side and a dorsal side opposite the palm side. A protective structure is located on the dorsal side and includes a first layer of material, a second layer of material and a plurality of foam members sandwiched between the first layer of material and the second layer of material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to work gloves and, morespecifically, to gloves to protect the knuckle areas of the hand.

BACKGROUND

Glove construction for protection of the human hand is well known. Avariety of protective features for the knuckle region of the hand arealso known. For example, gloves that incorporate a molded thermoplasticrubber protectant applied to the knuckle and/or finger region are known.The thermoplastic rubber is effective, but somewhat stiff/rigid.

It would be desirable to provide a glove with an alternative protectivefeature for the knuckle region.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a glove includes a glove body in a shape of a hand andhaving a palm side and a dorsal side opposite the palm side. Aprotective structure is located on the dorsal side and includes a firstlayer of material, a second layer of material and a plurality of foammembers sandwiched between the first layer of material and the secondlayer of material.

In another aspect, a glove includes a glove body in a shape of a handand having a palm side and a dorsal side opposite the palm side. Aprotective structure is located on the dorsal side and includes aplurality of compression molded foam segments interconnected by aplurality of foam-free segments.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features, objects, andadvantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and fromthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a left-hand glove;

FIG. 2 is a dorsal side top plane view of the glove;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the protective structure regionof the glove;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section through the protective structure alongline 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a protective structure for a right-handglove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a glove 10 includes a glove body 12 in a shape of ahand (e.g., shaped to receive a hand therein) and having a palm side 14and a dorsal side 16 opposite the palm side. A protective structure 20is located on the dorsal side and includes discrete areas of foamsegments or members for protecting areas of the dorsal side of a user'shand. By way of example, the foam segments or members may be EVA foam orsome other compression molded foam material.

The protective structure 20 is a separate unit that is connected to thematerial 18 (e.g., lycra) of the dorsal side 16 of the glove body. Here,the structure includes a lower layer of material 22, an upper layer ofmaterial 24 and a plurality of foam members 26 sandwiched between thelower and upper layers. By way of example, the layers 22 and 24 may beof a lycra material, and the layers and heat and compression are appliedto the layers, with the foam members therebetween, to form a directadhering bond of layer 22 to layer 24 in certain areas and to form anadhering bond between the lower layer 22 and the bottoms of the foammembers 26 and an adhering bond between the upper layer 24 and top andsides of the foam members 26.

Here, the foam members 26 are spaced apart from each other across thedorsal side to form a plurality of major segments of the protectivestructure and a plurality of minor segments 32 of the protectivestructure. Each major segment 30 includes at least one foam member 26,encapsulated by the layers 22 and 24. Each minor segment 32 lacks anyfoam and is made up of the two layers 22 and 24 only. Each minor segment32 has a thickness Tm that is no more than twenty-five percent of athickness TM of a thickes one of the major segments. Among the minorsegments 32 is a peripheral band 34 of the protective structure, whichsurrounds the interior regions of the protective structure. Each majorsegment 30 is bounded by a surrounding minor segment (e.g., toencapsulate the foam members 26), and the major segments 30 areinterconnected to each other by the minor segments 32.

The peripheral band or edge region 34 of the protective structure issecured to the glove body (e.g., by stitching 40 or adhesive) and theinterior region 36 of the protective structure overlies, but can moverelative to the glove body. As shown, the interior region may include aplurality of through openings 38 (e.g., here elongated slots). At leasta majority (here all) of the through openings 38 are located in minorsegments 32 of the protective structure. The through openings 38 furtherenhance the ability of different portions of the interior region 36 ofthe protective structure to flex and move relative to each other and theglove body.

Here, the protective structure 20 extends over a knuckle region of thedorsal side of the glove body, with a slight extent along each fingerportion, so as to be positioned primarily for protecting the knuckles ofa wearer's hand. However, the protective structure, or additionalprotective structures of the same type, could be located in other areas,such as further along the finger regions of the glove body or toward thewrist region of the glove body.

In one embodiment, a thin printed layer is applied to the dorsal side ofthe glove body beneath the protective structure 20, which may provide anoffset color that is visible through the openings 38 for enhanced wearerappeal.

In the illustrated embodiment, each major segment 30 is generallytriangular in shape in top plan view of the dorsal side. However,variations in shape are possible

It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended byway of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by wayof limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glove comprising: a glove body in a shape of ahand and having a palm side and a dorsal side opposite the palm side; aprotective structure on the dorsal side, the protective structurecomprising a first layer of material, a second layer of material and aplurality of foam members sandwiched between the first layer of materialand the second layer of material.
 2. The glove of claim 1, wherein theplurality of foam members are spaced apart from each other across thedorsal side to form a plurality of major segments of the protectivestructure and a plurality of minor segments of the protective structure,each major segment including at least one foam member, each minorsegment lacking any foam.
 3. The glove of claim 2, wherein each minorsegment has a thickness that is no more than twenty-five percent of athickness of a thickest one of the major segments.
 4. The glove of claim2, wherein the minor segments include a peripheral band of theprotective structure and multiple interior regions of the protectivestructure.
 5. The glove of claim 2, wherein each major segment isbounded by surrounding minor segment.
 6. The glove of claim 2, whereinthe major segments are interconnected to each other by the minorsegments.
 7. The glove of claim 1, wherein the first layer of material,the second layer of material and the foam members are adhered to eachother as a unit.
 8. The glove of claim 7, wherein the first layer ofmaterial, the second layer of material and the foam members areintegrated via heat and compression that forms a bond therebetween. 9.The glove of claim 2, wherein the protective structure includes aperipheral edge region that is secured to the glove body and an interiorregion that overlies, but can move relative to the glove body.
 10. Theglove of claim 9, wherein the interior region includes a plurality ofthrough openings.
 11. The glove of claim 10, wherein at least a majorityof the through openings are located in minor segments.
 12. The glove ofclaim 9, wherein each foam member comprises a compression molded foammaterial.
 13. The glove of claim 9, wherein the protective structureextends over a knuckle region of the dorsal side.
 14. The glove of claim9, wherein a printed layer is applied to the dorsal side of the glovebody beneath the protective structure.
 15. A glove comprising: a glovebody in a shape of a hand and having a palm side and a dorsal sideopposite the palm side; a protective structure on the dorsal side, theprotective structure comprising a plurality of compression molded foamsegments interconnected by a plurality of foam-free segments.
 16. Theglove of claim 15, wherein the protective structure includes aperipheral edge region that is secured to the glove body and an interiorregion that overlies, but can move relative to the glove body.
 17. Theglove of claim 16, wherein the interior region includes a plurality ofthrough openings located in foam-free segments of the interior region.18. The glove of claim 17, wherein the protective structure extends overa knuckle region of the dorsal side.
 19. The glove of claim 18, whereina printed layer is applied to the dorsal side of the glove body beneaththe protective structure.
 20. The glove of claim 15, wherein theprotective structure includes a bottom layer of material, a top layer ofmaterial and a plurality of compression molded foam members sandwichedtherebetween, wherein each compression molded foam segment is bounded onits bottom side by the bottom layer of material and is bounded on itstop side by the top layer of material, and each foam-free segment isformed by the top layer of material bonded to the bottom layer ofmaterial.